Screw and driver therefor.



R PATENTED DEC. 29, 1903. E. L. WALTER;

SCREW AND DRIVER THEREFOR.

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mnlmw I WWW]! UNITED STATES Patented December 29, 1903.

PATENT O FICE.

SCREW AND DRIVER THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 748,241, dated December29, 1 0

Application filed April 7| 1903. Serial No. 151.503. (N0 model.)

To an whom it, may concern/.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN L. WALTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Scran: ton, in the county of Lackawanna and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inScrews and Drivers Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

The primal intent of this invention is to insure firm and positiveconnection between a screw and its driver without necessitating theexpenditure of a great amount of energy to hold the driver in engagementwith the screw when turning same, thereby enabling a greater amount ofenergy to be utilized for effective Work without useless labor andunnecessary fatigue of the operator.

The invention provides a novel form of interlocking joint between thescrew and its driver, whereby a small amount of force serves to preventslipping of the driver when in service. The joint comprises anaxiallyinclined slot in the head of the screw and acorrespondingly-inclined point or hit at the end of the driver, wherebywhen the screw and driver are held in longitudinal alinement with thesaid inclined point fitted in the said axially-inclined slot they areinterlocked and held against longitudinal displacement.

Within the purview of the invention the longitudinally-inclined point orbit of the driver may be an integral part thereof or formed with anattachment to be fitted thereto, the latter being of special advantagewhen the invention is applied to spiral-tool drivers operated by endwisepressure.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereofand alsoto acquire aknowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand drawings hereto attached.

While the essential and characteristic features of theinvention aresusceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which--- 7Figure 1 is a side view of a screw and driver therefor embodying theinvention, a portion of each being broken away. Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview of the screw-driver and spring attachment separated. Fig.3isaperspective view of a screwdriver having the longitudinally-inclinedpoint or bit integral therewith and showing the head of the screw. Fig.4 is a side view of the interlocking joint formed between the screw anddriver when fitted together. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showingthe manner of connecting or disconmeeting the driver from the screw.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Thescrew l is provided with an axially-inclined slot 2 in its head,forming a part of the interlocking joint. The corner formed between theouter end of the head and the wall of the slot, forming an acute angletherewith, is cut away, as shown at 3, to prevent the formation of asharp edge, which would be liable to turn when subjected to pressureincident to turning the screw either to tighten or loosen same. Theinclination of the slot 2 may vary so long as it serves to interlockwith the point or bit of the driver and prevent longitudinaldisplacement thereof when in service and properly applied.

The point or bit 4 of the driving-tool is longitudinally inclined tocorrespond with the axial inclination of slot 2, so as to interlocktherewith and prevent longitudinal displacement of the driver when itand the screw are in axial alinement. A shoulder 5 is formed at the baseof the longitudinally-inclined point or bit 4 to correspond with thecut-away portion 3 of the screw, thereby enabling a great amount ofmetal being provided adjacent to the point 4:, whereby the driver isenabled to withstand the strain to which tools of this type aresubjected when in active operation. The driving-point or bit 4 may be anintegral part of the screw-driver or tool 6, as shown most clearly inFig. 3, or may form part of an attachment 7, as indicated in Figs. 1 and2. The attachment 7 comprises springarms 8 and 9, which are adapted toembrace opposite sides of the drivingtool 6 and which have inner lips 10and 11 at their upper ends to come in contact with the sides of thedriving-tool to hold the arms Sand 9 a slight distance therefrom, asshown most clearly in Fig. 1. One of the spring-arms, as 8, has itsinner lip 10 beveled toa chisel edge and adapted to enter anapproximately V-shaped groove or notch 12 in a side of the driving-tool6, so as to hold the attachment in place. Any suit able means may beprovided to prevent lateral displacement of the'attachment, and, asshown, a socket 13 is formed in the crotch of the attachment to receivethe extremity or point of driving-tool 6. The spring-arms 8 and 9 exerta lateral pressure against opposite sides of the driving-tool, therebytending to keep same in line with the screw when operating on the latterto drive it home or remove same, as may be required. The attachment 7provides means for adapting a driving tool to various sizes of screwswithout requiring a special tool for a particular size or a few sizes ofscrews. The attachment also enables the successful use of spiral-tooldrivers, the spring-arms serving to hold the bit or drivingpoint 4 inengagement with slot 2.

To applya driving-tool to a screw, both embodying the invention, it isnecessary to incline the driving-tool, as indicated most clearly inFig.5, to facilitate and enable the entrance of the point or bit tintothe inclined slot 2, the'tool being gradually brought into longitudinalalinement with the screw as the point or bit 4 enters slot 2. When thetool is properly fitted to the screw and. the interlocking joint formed,the driving-tool is in longitudinal alinement with the screw, asindicated most clearly in Fig. 4E, and but very little force is requiredto hold the tool in alinement with the screw; and when the tool is inoperation it is prevented from casual longitudinal displacement by meansof theinterlocking joint formed by the inclined elements 2 and 4, asherein described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. Incombination, a screw having an axially-inclined slot in its head, andadriver having a corresponding longitudinally-inclined point or hit,substantially as set forth.

2. In combination, a screw having an axially-inclined slot in its head,and having the upper end of the undercut wall beveled and a driverhaving a corresponding longitudinally-inclined point or hit provided atone side with a shoulder to match the beveled end of the undercut wallof the screw-head slot, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a screw having an axially-inclined slot and adriving-tool, an attachment fitted to said driving-tool and providedwith an inclined point or bit to make interlocking connection with theaxially-inclined slot of the screw, substantially as specified.

4. In combination with a screw having an axially-inclined slot and adriving-tool, an attachment provided with spring-arms embracing oppositesides of the driving-tool and provided with a longitudinally-inclinedpoint or bit to make interlocking connection with the axially-inclin edslot of the screw, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with a screw having an axially-inclined slot and adriving-tool, an attachment provided with spring-arms embracing oppositesides of the driving-tool and having inner lips at the ends of thespringarms to bear against the sides of the drivingtool, said attachmenthaving a longitudinallyinclined point or hit to make interlockingconnection with the axially-inclined slot of the screw, substantially asdescribed.

6.- In combination with a screw having an axially-inclined slot and adriving-tool, an attachment provided with spring-arms embracing oppositesides of the driving-tool and having a socket in the crotch formedbetween said spring-arms to receive the end of the driving-tool andprevent lateral displacement thereof, said attachment-having alongitudinally-inclined point or hit to make interlocking connectionwith the axially-inclined slot of the screw, substantially as specified.

7. In combination, a screw provided with an axially-inclined slot, adriving-tool having a notch or groove ina side, and an attachmentcomprising spring-arms to embrace 0pposite sides of the driving-tool,one of said arms having an inner lip to interlock with the groove ornotch of the driving-tool to hold the attachment in place, saidattachment having a longitudinally-inclined point or bit to makeinterlocking connection with the axially-inclined slot of the screw,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afi'ix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN L. WALTER. Witnesses:

GLADYs L. THOMPSON, IVAN HEIDEMAN.

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